This curriculum guide was developed to provide environmental education through a series of hands-on activities for the classroom and the outdoor setting of Mount Mitchell State Park, North Carolina. This activity packet, designed for grades 4 through 6, meets established curriculum objectives of the North Carolina Department of Public…

A follow-up study built on a 1980 study which compared the self-concept of 86 rural Appalachian sixth graders with 80 urban non-Appalacian sixth graders using the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale; then the rural Appalachian sample scored significantly lower in general self-concept and on four self-concept clusters. Where the original…

Reports findings from the 1987 National Cancer Institute North Carolina School Health and Tobacco Education Project, which assessed schools' curriculum awareness, adoption, implementation, and institutionalization, focusing on 10 lessons learned after 5 years of following participating school districts. The lessons are categorized into the areas…

One of four curriculum guides designed to aid teachers of grades K-9 in implementing a balanced, dynamic traffic safety program, this level C guide contains materials for teachers of grades 4-6. Four units in pedestrian, bicycle, school bus, and passenger safety are presented, and minicycle and optional farm vehicle safety units are introduced.…

The paradox of site-based school management with use of standardized tests or instructional management systems that restrict teacher choices was evident in one school district in North Carolina in which measurement of student success has centered on student performance on state-mandated tests. A study was conducted to see if students whose…

This learning packet, one in a series of eight, was developed by the Eno River State Park in North Carolina for Grades 5-6 to teach about various aspects of water life on the Eno River. Loose-leaf pages are presented in nine sections that contain: (1) introductions to the North Carolina State Park System, the Eno River State Park, and to the…

An essay to test writing skill has been administered to North Carolina sixth and eighth graders for 10 years. In 1992-93, fourth graders were also tested. Each year compositions are graded by readers trained to apply a uniform set of criteria to the essays. Composition criteria are main ideas, supporting detail, organization, and coherence. A…

To fulfill the mandates of the State Legislature, a battery of national and statewide standardized norm-referenced tests has been administered in the spring of each year to North Carolina's students in grades 3, 6, and 8 to measure skills in reading, language, mathematics, science, and social studies. This report presents summary results of…

The North Carolina Project for Reform in Science Education, which is part of the National Science Teachers Association's Scope, Sequence, and Coordination Project, and the importance of student test scores as an evaluation tool were evaluated. Seven North Carolina schools participated in the project's first year (1991-92), with 21 teachers, and…

The North Carolina Annual Testing Program, established by the 1977 General Assembly to assess the effectiveness of the educational process in North Carolina, involves the administration of a battery of norm-referenced tests to students in grades 3, 6, and 8 to measure skills in reading, language, mathematics, science, and social studies. This…

The opportunity and right to obtain a free public education provides the opportunity for all Americans to achieve success socially, financially, and professionally. The public education system has endured decades of changes as it attempts to address social, cultural, and academic issues that arise as the nation evolves. The public education system…